Healthy Eating Tips for the Holiday Season – Part II

Eating healthy when you are busy making merry over the holidays can be accomplished if you dig your heels in and just make it happen! There are many ways that you can eat nutritiously and also encourage others to do so as well.

Do not be afraid to experiment with healthy holiday alternatives. Do not worry about what family members will say. Just put on a happy face and encourage them to open their minds and give your new options a try! If you are the one in charge of making food for a meal then take control and become the health police – well, within reason, don’t want you to lose friends!

Maybe this year you want to do things completely different. You could make a selection of salads instead of preparing heavy foods that are common winter fare such as roasts, casseroles or stews. Or maybe you can find ways to take the emphasis off of food all together and come up with an activity you can enjoy with family or friends that is not all about munching on goodies.

When it comes to vegetables serve as many raw ones as you can. Make up vegetable plates and serve with a healthy low fat dip. This is sure to be a hit amongst your health conscious guests!

Salads are a better choice than are vegetables that are baked in fat. Salads offer another means of eating raw veggies. You might even want to offer both veggie plates as well as a variety of salads. Lemon or lime juice tastes good on salads as does a variety of types of vinegar and fresh herbs such as rosemary or cilantro. Yummy and oh so healthy!

Green salads are an ideal choice and you can mix and match whatever veggies you want. If you want to whip up  a potato salad then instead of mixing it with mayonnaise use spices to give it that zing that you are looking for. You will not know how delicious it can be until you try it for yourself.

Speaking of potatoes, if you wish to have baked potatoes instead of topping them with butter try plain yogurt. Or you can try low fat sour cream or low fat cream cheese. Just make sure you only add a tiny amount to the potato. Do not drown it with anything or you will drown out the taste of it entirely!

To flavor your vegetables stay away from fattening butter or creamy sauces. Instead opt for herbs and spices. Experiment with a number of them to find the ones that are most appealing to your taste buds and the taste buds of your loved ones.

If you do want to include some cooked vegetables in your holiday meals then steam them instead of boiling them. Not only is this the healthier option but it also makes for some great tasting vegetables!

More tips can be found in our Healthy Eating Tips for the Holiday Season – Part I here.

Here’s to a healthy eating holiday for you and yours!

Becca

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Healthy Eating Tips for the Holiday Season – Part I

When one thinks of the holiday season images of food and drinks often come to mind. The holidays are a season of parties, get together’s and plenty of socializing and entertaining.

With this come lots of foods to indulge in and enjoy. There are family parties, work functions and holiday cheer enjoyed amongst close friends. With all of the food choices available it can be difficult to stay away from unhealthy choices. After all this is the season when fattening and sugar laden foods and beverages abound!

If you are watching your weight, trying to get down to your goal weight or have made a promise to yourself to pursue the path of healthy living then the holidays can throw you off track.  No one wants their efforts sabotaged just as the year is coming to an end. It does not have to be that way. Here we offer you some healthy eating tips for the season. Some may be ones that you already know and already use while others may be new to you all together!

Eating healthy during the holidays is not that difficult if you know what things you can do to make it happen.

One of the most important ways to not overeat is to follow the old adage, “Everything in moderation.” To do this, trick your mind – use a smaller plate to eat your meals. Your mind will think that you are eating out of a full plate and you will be satisfied with the amount that you have eaten.

During the festive season if you go to a party or some other type of social gathering and there are plenty of choices then to ensure you are eating a well-balanced and healthy meal choose a selection of many different foods as opposed to piling your plate with only one or two types of foods. You do not want to consume the bad type of carbs or a kind of food that is really fatty.

You need to use the moderation rule when it comes to what you drink as well.

For every alcoholic beverage you consume (or every soft drink) you should then have a glass of water. Water is good for you in many ways and has so many benefits. It has no calories and there are no adverse side effects. It does not cost very much and it cleans the toxins out of your system. It also makes you feel full.

If you are the one throwing a party then make your own mixed drinks for your guests with real fruit juice as opposed to using canned fruit drinks.  Do not put out an overabundance of food for your guests if you plan to have a buffet. You do not want your guest to over serve themselves or over eat. Let’s face it; you are not the only person who wants to maintain your commitment to healthy eating over the holidays and beyond!

Keep these things in mind as you meander through the food minefield of the holiday seas. We’ll have more healthy choice tips for you next post.

Becca

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